Cognac and Pistachio Chicken Liver Pâté

Pâté (pronounced pah-TAY) is French for pie. It’s simply a mixture of ground meat such as beef, pork, wild game, poultry, liver, or seafood and often combined with some form of fat, vegetables, herbs, or seasonings. The grind can be smooth and creamy or on the chunky side. It may be served hot or cold. If you’re not a fan of liver, there are other pâté recipes…click here to view all. Choose one that suits your palate and show it off this holiday season to your family and friends. It’s a special appetizer and one that gets the attention at a party. Cheers!

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat until it froths then calms. Add onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until onion is just soft. Add thyme, salt, pepper and chicken livers; cook 10 minutes. During the last minute, remove from heat and stir in cognac. Let mixture cool for 5 minutes, then pour into a food processor and blend until smooth. Fold in pistachios, then transfer to a terrine, small ramekins or your favorite dish and smooth the top with a butter knife.

Over medium heat, melt remaining 1/4 butter, remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes. Using a spoon, skim the milk solids (froth) from top of butter and discard, then pour clarified butter over terrine or ramekins to seal it. Make sure milk solids from bottom of pan don’t mix with clarified butter. Chill for at least 3 hours. Serve with baguette slices.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: The pâté was out of this world and I loved the odd crunch here and there from the pistachios. Very easy to make and your guests will be asking for the recipe before the pâté is finished. Serve this with a nice bottle of Beaujolais.